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Movie Review: ‘Horsehead’ is Worth Your Time

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9 years ago

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Romain Basset’s Horsehead is a solid entry to the genre with high quality acting, cinematography, and overall atmosphere.

It’s one of a seemingly growing number of sleep and/or dream-related films emerging in an era with no Nightmare on Elm Street films coming out, accompanied by titles like The Nightmare, Before I Wake, and probably others that I can’t remember off the top of my head. But make no mistake. This is no Freddy movie.

The official synopsis is as follows:

Beautiful young Jessica returns to her family’s countryside estate for her grandmother’s funeral where she is haunted by recurring nightmares of a horse-headed monster. As she attempts to semi-consciously navigate through this dream landscape, Jessica begins to discover the secrets behind this sinister apparition. Haunting and horrific, surreal and shocking, HORSEHEAD is a horror-fantasy that pay tribute to the classic European shockers of Dario Argento and Mario Bava while delivering unforgettable images that both disturb and enchant.

I completely agree that the film is haunting and has a very classic European feel to it. I was certainly reminded of some of Argento’s classic works at times, but that was mostly from specific and occasional shots more so than the film in its entirety.

On the surface, this looks like a movie about a woman being terrorized by a guy with a Horsehead in her dreams. That’s not entirely inaccurate, but it is an incredible oversimplification of what’s going on. The film is much more about a family, its hidden past, and a woman who is able to uncover that past by inducing lucid dreams. This makes for an interesting dynamic, which does not carry the Dream Master tone you might envision from that description.

The score is what truly gives Horsehead its haunting and unsettling tone. A feeling of uneasiness is set up early on because of it (The appearance of Philippe Nahon’s name in the opening credits helped too. That guy is just scary as fuck). The film’s effectiveness is all about tone. The lighting is dark and the sound design is very good contributing to an ongoing uneasiness even during otherwise mundane scenes, such as a family sitting at the table eating a meal. Because of this sensation, you get the feeling that every scene is in fact significant. You never quite know what’s going to happen or how twisted things might get. The fact that the movie constantly slips back and forth between dream and reality only build on that.

I’m not sure I entirely understand every moment that graces the screen in Horsehead, nor am I sure I’m supposed to. Either way, I get the impression that multiple viewings will only enhance one’s enjoyment of the film, which is typically a good sign for a picture’s longevity.

I wouldn’t necessarily put Horsehead in my top five of the year to date, but out of those I’ve seen so far, I definitely have it in the top ten, though that could change as the year progresses. Either way, the film offers much to appreciate and is definitely worth checking out.

This is the third new release from Artsploitation I’ve reviewed, and I’ll just say that two out of three ain’t bad with Horsehead and Der Samurai  being impressive and unique films even if I wasn’t sold on The House with 100 Eyes. I’m definitely looking forward to more of their releases.

Horsehead hits DVD and Blu-ray on June 23.

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

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4 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.” 

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

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5 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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Scooby Doo Live Action Netflix

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Scooby-Doo

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

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5 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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The Deadly Getaway

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway
The Deadly Getaway

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.

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